


Raging

by laadychat



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Chloè redemption, Fluff, Gen, Marinette gets her revenge, kim and marinette are BROS, kim's a dumbass but we stan a loyal king, kiminette brotp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2020-10-19 13:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20657822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laadychat/pseuds/laadychat
Summary: Kim was mad. How could someone new turn most his classmates against the one and only Marinette Dupain-Cheng?





	1. Pissed

Kim. Was. Pissed.

Utterly and completely _livid_.

Lila Rossi has managed to expel Marinette Dupain-Cheng, their class president, with such obvious lies, it absolutely baffled him on how no one seemed to question her.

Marinette stealing the test answers?

_No way._

Marinette pushed you down the stairs?

There wasn't even a loud bang and Marinette would _never_.

Marinette stole your necklace?

Come _on_, the thing looked so cheaply made and _so not_ a Marinette style.

Before Kim had the chance to fully comprehend the scene unfolding in front of him, most his classmates were reakumatized.

Granted, it only lasted a few moments but it had been a confusing few moments. Then _boom!_

Marinette was expelled!

Kim was fuming when he noticed how some of his classmates were believing the Italian girl instead of the girl who would go to hell and back for them.

Narrowing his eyes, Kim noticed how smugged Lila looked after she walked out of the principal's office. It dawned on him then that this was her goal all along. To some how turn people against the bluenette.

Kim couldn't stand being at the school after that. He left, refusing to respond to any inquiring text messages.

It wasn't till later that day he decided to visit the bakery. Walking up the familiar path, his shoulder suddenly shagged in utter sadness. When they were little, they use to be the best of friends - hell, they were known as the chaotic duo! Their parents were great friends and because of that, they use to have plenty of playdate. It stopped soon after they started middle school, with Kim finding other friends and Marinette getting busy with her hobbies.

Straightening up, Kim was now a man on a mission. He was going to repair their loss friendship and let the girl know that he was completely on her side. One-hundred percent.

The doorbell chimes as he walked through, waving his hand at the adults behind the register. "Hi, Ms. Cheng, Mr. Dupain!"

They smiled their warm smiles and it eased his aching heart a bit. Those two were the kindest parents he met.

"Marinette is upstairs, why don't you take some of these goodies with you?" Sabine held out a tray filled with their specials and Kim accepted then graciously. "It's nice to see you again, it's been too long, young man."

"Don't worry, Ms. Cheng. You'll be seeing my face so much now, you might even kick me out." He chuckled, waving again as he made his way upstairs.

He didn't get too far before someone blocked his path.

"Kim?"

Looking up from the tray, Kim raised his eyebrows in surprise. It quickly disappeared and was replaced with a nervous expression.

"Hey, Marinette. I heard what happened today and wanted to come comfort you."

He looked away, suddenly realizing how long it's been since his been over. When was the last time? A year ago? Two? Maybe this is too weird, would she kick him out?

His internal monologue was interrupted by a sigh and when he glance back, he noticed how frustrated she looks. When she opened her mouth, he quickly beat her to the punch.

"I know it's been a while since we been close but I just wanted to tell you that I don't believe you did any of that stuff Lila said you did. I'm with you one-hundred percent."

The shock on her face had him looking away once again.

Only to have a hand tug him forward.

"Come on up, Kim."

  
-

"_What_?"

Marinette nodded, finishing up with the last bit of her cookie. It felt good, refreshing even, to have someone to rant all this stuff too.

Especially with someone who believed her and not some new girl.

"Yeah, which basically means she's admitting that she knows she's lying and purposely framed me. I'm telling you, she wanted me expelled."

Kim was at a loss for words. He knew Lila didn't like Marinette but to constantly go out of her way to humiliate her? That's a whole new level of low.

"What does she have against you? You're like, the sweetest person I know." He asked, mindlessly grabbing the croissant.

Marinette shrugged. "I called her out on her bullshit a while back and it pissed her off. She threatened me afterwards, something about turning my friends against me. But," she waved her hands in front of her, "I didn't think she hated me this much."

"Wait," Kim stiffened, his eyes staring at the girl in front of him intensely. "She threatened you?"

Realizing what she said, Marinette shrunk back against the couch and wouldn't meet his questioning gaze.

"_Marinette_."

Sighing, she nodded her head. _This is it_, she thought. _Kim is going to call me crazy and his going to think I'm just seeking attention and-_

When she noticed the silence, her eyes snapped back to the boy, widening when she saw just how upset he looked.

Meanwhile, Kim was seeing red. Rage red. Lila had threatened Marinette. _Threatened Marinette_. That was the only thing ringing in his head now and could feel his anger rising. Kim had always considered Marinette as like a sister and use to protect her a bunch when they were younger, How could he have failed her so terribly?

"That's it, Nette. I've made up my mind. Lila Rossi won't even be able to step foot in that damn school once I'm through with her."

  
-

It took a few more treats and panicking Marinette to steer him away from going to Lila's house and plummeting her right then and there.

Enough to say, Kim was going to have a long chat with Adrien. That was the only other person who seemed to not believe the Italian girl and with this idea he was currently come up with, he was going to need all the help he could get.

_I failed you already, Marinette. I will not fail you again._


	2. Deal

The next morning, Kim made sure to be up early. Early enough that he would be able to get the the Dupain-Cheng bakery and wake up a certain blue haired girl.  
  
What he didn't expect was for how hard that task was going to be.  
  
Which is how he found himself in his current situation.  
  
"Marinette, come on. Is this why you're always late?"  
  
He moved out of the way as a pillow came hurdling towards him. Kim couldn't even more away from the other side of the room without dodging away from something. How did she have great aim when she was half asleep?  
  
Amused, yet frustrated beyond belief, Kim took in a deep breath and stormed towards the bed. He grabbed onto the blanket and tugged harshly, sending Marinette tumbling out of her bed with a yelp.  
  
"What the hell, Kim!"  
  
Satisfied with his success, Kim stuck out his tongue. "We gotta get to school, sleepy head."  
  
Groaning, she halfheartedly threw a notebook at him but nonetheless, moved towards her bedroom door. "Go get us some tea and breakfast ready. You owe me that for such a rude awakening."  
  
"Sure thing, Ms. President. But if I catch you sleeping," he wiggled his eyebrows, smirking. "I will dump a bucket of cold water on you."  
  
"You wouldn't dare," glaring, Marinette pointed at him accusingly.  
  
But that only caused him to grin wider. "Is that a dare, Dupain-Cheng?"  
  
They stared at each other for a moment longer before Marinette slumped with a sigh. "You're taking my backpack for me."  
  
"Deal."  
  
  
-  
  
  
Marinette had to admit, spending her morning bantering with Kim felt nice. She never realized how much she missed goofing around with him till now. Plus, he made her forget momentarily about what might be waiting for her at school now.  
  
At least, until she caught sight of it.  
  
She tensed up, feeling dread slowly creep in on her. Sure, she was declared innocent from all the accusations, but how does one bounce back from that? Or from the fact that a few of her classmates were quick to agree with the new girl and not her, someone who has known them for much longer.

As if to sense her distress, Kim threw an arm around her and gave her shoulder a squeeze. That was enough to dismantle some of the tension that coiled in her. Sending him a small smile to show her gratitude, Marinette straightened up and lifted her chin slightly.

"There's the spunky and fiery Dupain-Cheng I use to know." Kim said, eyes glinting with mischief. "Now, let's go bring the school down to its knees."

-

Kim was beaming.

He was absolutely ecstatic with the change in Marinette at the moment. 

When they were younger, she was also this headstrong girl who constantly got herself in hot water. But somehow, was always able to elude any possibility of being punished. So to have her hold her head high and that devilish glint show up in her eyes? Amazing.

The bonus part?

The way she smiled sweetly at Lila but that wink was more then clear enough on what the message was.

_Watch your back, Lila Rossi._

He was more than happy to be part of the right side of history. Because when Marinette rolls her sleeves up and gets down to get dirty, she doesn't disappoint. And it was about time someone started showing the Italian girl her place._  
_

He followed the bluenette into the class room, giving her one last squeeze of encouragement before making his way towards his seat. He wasn't surprised by the questioning glances by his classmates and brush them off. He was going to protect Marinette at all cost, even if it means enduring a little curiosity from his friends. 

"Hey, Kim!"  
  
He had to hold himself back from the snarl that was threatening to leave his lips. But the eyeroll was there to stay.  
  
"Yeah?" He responded, barely giving her a glance before focusing back at his workbook.  
  
Did he sound annoyed? He most certainly sounded annoyed. Did he regret the way he was acting towards her?  
  
_Not one bit._  
  
The surprise was evident in her voice as she spoke up again. "I was interested in trying out swimming!" Now that he was aware of how ridiculous Lila could be, he could clearly hear the false cheer in her voice. Something that told him she really wasn't actually interested in swimming.  
  
As if not realizing how _disinterested_ Kim was to take part in the conversation, Lila continued. "Would you mind helping me out with it during lunch today?"  
  
The Kim from a week ago might have agreed. He would definitely have been excited to have someone else taking a liking for his favorite sport.  
  
But this Kim was not the same as the Kim from a week ago.  
  
"Sorry, Lila," Glancing up, he gave her a half smile before pointing towards the class president. "I'm going somewhere with Marinette during lunch. Next time, yeah?"  
  
He could tell this was not the answer she was waiting for, if the flash of irritation in her eyes were anything to go by. This only made Kim happier to have declined her request.  
  
"But it's the only time I'll be able to try it out this week! I'm sure Marinette wouldn't mind..."  
  
Kim had to look away from her. He couldn't stand to look at her right now or he wouldn't know what to do. He was already so close to lose it right then and there because how dare she? Marinette wouldn't mind? _Marinette wouldn't mind?_ Who gave her the right to _declare_ such a thing? Taking a deep breath, he schooled his expression to an apologetic one before looking back at her.  
  
"Maybe I can ask Odine if she can help you out? Besides," he shrugged causally. "she's a better trainer than I am. As a matter of fact," pulling out his phone, he quickly sent out a message to his swim partner. "There, I asked her. I'll let you know what she says, okay?"  
  
The brief anger that briefly swept the Italian girl's face was enough to puff his chest out proudly. He had enough mind to not do it then, but he definitely will be gloating about this later to Marinette.  
  
"Oh, okay, thanks."  
  
He gave two thumbs up before refocusing on the material in front of him. What Kim told Lila wasn't a lie - he really was going to grab some lunch with his oldest pal. That wasn't the most unsettling thing - the fact that she thought by saying 'Marinette won't mind' was going to make him agree with her just further increased his distrust in the new girl.  
  
With sudden pure clarity, he knew _exactly_ this made him uneasy. He's heard her say it multiple times.  
  
When Marinette and Rose were suppose to get together to discuss a project together.  
  
When Marinette and Alya were suppose to study together.  
  
_When Marinette and Max were suppose to meet up to play his new game._  
  
Slumping in his seat, he frowned when he realized it even happened between him and her as well. Granted, it was only one time and Marinette seemed really understanding, he now realized it was probably because she was use to it at that point.  
  
_How was Marinette able to handle all this? How did my classmates not realize how much we were hurting our friend? How did she manage to not get so mad over this treatment in order to not get akumatized?_  
  
The last thought had him holding his breath because Marinette hasn't been akumatized. If anyone had any rights to being akumatized, it would have been her. But she hasn't been.  
  
Turning to face the front as the teacher walked in, Kim came to a decision.  
  
He'll do anything to make sure she never gets akumatized.  
  
  
-  
  
Kim was the last student to drag himself out of the classroom. He and Marinette planned to meet up in ten minutes which left him with nothing to do at that moment. Excited over the prospect of eating some of Mrs. Cheng amazing food, Kim quickly made his way towards the locker room. He didn't like the idea of constantly carrying his backpack placing it in his locker seemed like the greatest idea.  
  
He could only thank the heavens for the opportunity that came up right as he walked in.  
  
Kim could say that nothing really scares him. Well, nothing besides _spiders_ that is. But other than that, Kim wasn't afraid of anything else.  
  
Until he heard the icy tones from a certain model.  
  
And the only reason he hadn't bolted out the door was because of just who Adrien was speaking to.  
  
But how did he manage to make his smile seem polite?  
  
"I have somewhere to get to right now. Another time, Lila."  
  
"Adrien, please. I know you got no where else to be right now. So you will go there with me."  
  
"And if I don't?"  
  
A pause.  
  
"We both know that isn't gonna end well."  
  
Gaping in disbelief, Kim couldn't believe what he was hearing. First, Lila Rossi threatens Marinette and now Adrien? What was wrong with that girl?  
  
Taking a deep breath, Kim walked around the corner and tried to look startled when he ran into the two. When his eyes landed on Adrien, he grinned. "Hey, man! Marinette said she'd meet us outside in a few minutes. Oh," and almost like an after thought, Kim looked at Lila. "Hey."  
  
Lila frowned and Kim narrowed his eyes. Were her eyes... _watering_?  
  
"Looks like Marinette's always inviting people over. I wonder when she'll invite me."  
  
Ah, that's why. Now that he noticed, her whole demeanor seemed to change the moment he walked in. But did she really believe he'd fall for her pity act?  
  
He can't believe he use to think this girl was cool.  
  
"Take that up with her. Let's go, Agreste." Kim shrugged, throwing her the best sympathetic smile he could manage and dragged the said boy out of the room.  
  
It wasn't until they were outside the school when he stopped themselves.  
  
"Adrien, you know something about Lila, right? Like how she's a manipulative little troll and tried to get Marinette expelled?"  
  
Kim couldn't help it. The whole situation earlier just really ticked him off and couldn't hide the obvious venom in his voice. But that slowly dissipated when Adrien looked at him with wide eyes.  
  
"You don't believe Lila?"  
  
Kim scoffed. "Please, I've known Marinette since we were in diapers. I can say with absolutely confidence she didn't do any of the stuff Lila claimed she did."  
  
That's when Adrien grinned and Kim was taken aback by how giddy and loopy it looked.  
  
"Oh, _thank God. _I'm well aware of Lila's ways and trust me, I'm at the point where I'm no longer entertaining the idea of being a pacifist."  
  
"So you do know something."  
  
When Adrien nodded, Kim grabbed his arm arm marched towards the bluenette waiting by the stairs. "Well, you're really gonna join us for lunch now."  
  
"Wait, I need to let Nathalie know!"  
  
"Fine by me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now we got Adrien on board.
> 
> who'll be next?


	3. Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why did Adrien do what he did?  
And what does that mean for Lila?

"Wait, if you don't like Lila, why did you do a photoshoot with her?"

Adrien frowned, having had this question on his mind since yesterday. "I don't know what my father was thinking. But I will make sure that's the last time she's seen with me." He added, his voice thick with distaste. "I was planning on asking my father how it happened."

Kim nodded, eyebrows furrowed. "Do you guys not do background checks on your employees?"

"We do! That's why I don't understand why she was doing it with me. I even asked the other models and they all said they never heard of her and there was nothing when they searched her up." Letting out a frustrated sigh, Adrien threw his hands up in the air. 

"Huh."

This was odd. Very, _very_, odd and Kim had no idea what to do with the information. How was it possible for Lila, someone who doesn't have any record of ever being a model, able to be Adrien's partner for a photoshoot? Like, _come on. _Adrien's father was the most strictest and coldest person he's ever met. The poor boy had literally _forged_ his father's signature and snuck out of the house in order to enroll into school. And from Adrien said before, his father wouldn't do anything that could potential bring a scandal to his company.

Even went as far as preventing Adrien from hanging out with classmates most of the time.

All these thoughts flew to the back of his mind when he caught sight of Marinette. Now all Kim was thinking about was the homemade food he was able to eat. 

"Marinette! Hope you don't mind, but Adrien will be eating with us." Grinning, he placed his arm around her shoulder and steered her towards the bakery. "Had to save him from a certain vulture." He winked. But his smile was quickly replaced by a frown when he saw the blank expression that covered her face. And when she shifted her stare from the model next to him to, well, _him, _Kim felt his frown deepen.

One, because she was not reacting the way he thought she would.

And two, because that stared usually meant _'I will kill you.'_

But that was wiped away just as fast as it came, and suddenly, Marinette was smiling at her supposed crush.

"Hey! I'm glad you can join us, Adrien."

Wait.

_Wait a second._

Did Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the girl who couldn't say much to Adrien without tripping over her word, talk with no trouble?  
  
And where was the blush? The wide eyes? Where was the girl who couldn't stand in place when Adrien stood next to her?  
  
Kim might be single minded sometimes(sometimes!), but he definitely knew how Marinette acted around Adrien ninety percent of the time. And it certainly was not this.  
  
Confused, Kim fell in steps with them as they made their way to Marinette's place. He watched how she was able to start up a conversation with the model, and while he was happy about her being her normal confident self, he couldn't help feeling lost when he noticed the guarded look in her eyes.  
  
Did something happened between them?  
  
But as he continued to watch, he saw how Adrien was acting and shook his head. If something _did_ happen, he was sure the blonde boy didn't know what it was.  
  
And there was just one question still on his mind...  
  
"Hey, Mari?" When he had the girl's attention, he tapped his chin. "Why did Lila make up a whole story just to get your back to school, if she went through all that trouble to expel you in the first place?"  
  
She shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. I tried being nice to her about it but she was still pretty rude."  
  
"I told her too."  
  
Both he and Marinette whipped their head around to look at the third companion with wide eyes.  
  
Adrien blinked, as if only realizing he said that out loud and rubbed the back of his neck, a soft hue clawing its way to his cheeks. "I mean, I confronted her about the whole framing Marinette and all the lies. I told her that because she's so good at making stuff up, she had to come up with a story to bring Marinette back."  
  
The taller boy just stared, baffled by the confession. Shy, reserved, no-mean-bone-in-his-body Adrien Agreste had somehow managed to get their blue haired friend back into school? 

Shaking off his shocked, Kim gazed at him curiously. "How? I mean, I'm pretty sure she doesn't actually _like _like you. Or at least, enough to undo who entire plan."

But the scoff that came from right next to him halted all other questions he wanted to ask. Let him repeat that again.

_Marinette Dupain-Cheng just scoffed at Adrien Agreste. _Was that a glare she sent his way?

"I'm sure, even if Lila likes you, she probably wouldn't have done that just cause you say so." Taken aback, Kim's jaw dropped as he watched Marinette shake her head. He could clearly see the irritation in her eyes, something he was not expecting to see due to such a confession. Her crush just admitted to being the one that got her expulsion removed, how is this a way to say thanks?

At her tone of voice, Adrien seemed to be just as confused. He straightened up and furrowed his eyebrows. "She was hurting you, Marinette. I had to do something."

"But," Marinette waved her hands in front of her and seemed to deflate a little. Kim was still not completely sure what was going on in front of him. "You said to lay low, take the high road- what happened to that?"

Kim blinked. And blinked again.

_He said what?_

"She hurt you, that invalidates it. No one hurts the people I care about and gets away with it. Especially Lila Rossi."

At Adrien's declaration, Kim could tell it had a huge affect on Marinette. The girl's pupils had dilated and the blush that was usually there in his present now seemed to go in full effect. Even though Kim was also surprised by the way Adrien had said that with so much power conviction, with such an air of 'matter-of-fact' that left no space for questions on his statement, he couldn't help being drawn to one thing that was said earlier.

"What do you mean 'take the highroad'? How long did you know Lila was untrustworthy?" 

And like a switch, all of a sudden, Adrien was back to being sheepish. Sheepish and very clearly vulnerable. Marinette seemed to gather herself slightly, but the blush didn't seem to be leaving any time soon.

The model took a deep breath and opened his mouth, but closed it again without uttering any words, but that was okay for Kim. He could stand there, ignoring the amazing smell coming from the bakery, the way his stomach rumbled, just to hear why exactly his friend said such a thing.

He could wait to eat just to hear why Adrien would tell Marinette to leave Lila alone, just to turn around and do a photoshoot with her.

"Can we go in and sit down first?" Adrien muttered, glancing at his feet instead of his peers.

Okay, maybe Kim's stomach made a loud noise in agreement after that suggestion, but he still wanted to know! 

The three walked in and managed to make their way upstairs, where food was already set out for them. They made sure to show their thanks by kissing a certain Cheng mother on the cheek.

It was three minutes into eating in silence when Kim finally broke it. "Okay, I've been patient but I really want to know. Agreste, what were you thinking?"

Adrien slumped in his chair and refused to make eye contact. "I didn't think her lies were hurting anyone. Clearly," he glanced up, regret clear in his gaze, "I was so wrong."

"But why didn't you tell us she wasn't being honest with us?"

"Are you kidding me? People lie about meetings celebrities and whatnot _all the time._ Sure she lied about certain things, but it didn't make sense to point them all out!"

Kim knows he should let it go - hell, even _he _was drawn in by the fake tales of Lila Rossi. But to know that Adrien had known the _entire _time and hardly said a thing, well, it just didn't make sense. "But Adrien-"

"Kim, let it go."

The way it was said, so gentle and appreciative, it instantly calmed him down. There was just something about how she was speaking and the gratitude that shone in her eyes - Kim nodding his head in agreement. Fine, he'll let it go _this _time, but he wasn't done questioning the blonde. 

He made sure the look he sent clearly expressed that.

By Adrien's gulp, Kim was proud to say that it worked. But for now, there was a certain dish in front of him that was just _begging _to be licked clean.

-

In his defense, he had no idea something like _this _would happen.

Not in his life time, not in this _century._

Okay, he's being a little dramatic, but _come on. _

This was a whole scenario he didn't even see coming.

There she was, Chloé Bourgeois, sitting in front of Marinette, in the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Eating lunch. And acting as if this was her home from the way she knew where _everything _was.

Kim pinched his cheek to check if this was reality, and undoubtedly forgetting that his pinches _hurt. _And from Adrien's dazed and confused expression, it was obvious he wasn't the only one wondering just what the actual _hell _is going on.

One minute, they were happily chatting around, snickering at some of the outlandish and ridiculous claims Lila made(best friend with Ladybug? _Ladybug? _ Who was she kidding?) then the next, the blonde girl was storming upstairs, complaining about somethings she heard while at school, walking towards the fridge and _opened _it, grabbing a closed bowl and sat down next to Marinette. Kim was left speechless, especially after the fact that _Marinette _was engaging in conversation as if this was something normal. 

Can you imagine? Chloé and Marinette sitting next to each other, speaking civil-like and actually agreeing with one another?

Exactly. It's a little hard for one to wrap their mind around that. 

So Kim continued to stare at the girls in front of him, marveling at how at ease they were with each other. How it was as if all their bickering and bitterness only occurred in the walls of Collège Françoise-Dupont.

"Gah, this is the only place I love to eat at. Even that one sushi place can't beat this. I need to send your mom a gift."

That's when Kim finally snapped out of the daze he was in to point a finger at Chloé. "What the hell? Why are _you _here?"

The mayor's daughter just rolled her eyes and waved him off. "Eating? Clearly."'

"Yeah, but," he scoffed, gesturing to the whole room. "why are you _here? _As in, this specific bakery? And since were you and Marinette this close?" He narrowed his eyes, suspicion quickly taking over his confusion.

Kim felt his disbelief flare back when the blonde girl had the audacity to look _annoyed._ It wasn't like she wasn't crashing lunch or anything, right?

_Not._

"I realized Marinette is cool and I'm a bitch, okay? Enough said, and I'm totally using this new connection it to get Mama Cheng's amazing food. Are you done asking?" She huffed. "I wasn't done talking about what that leech has been saying."

"Wow."

It was the first time the model boy spoke up since the tornado that is Chloé Bourgeois came into the room. And it looked like that's the first time Chloé noticed he was in the room.

Only to sneer at him.

_What is going on?_

"Adrien, you know I love you and everything, but what in Pollen's name were you thinking? Doing a photoshoot with _her? _I thought you didn't _like _her."

"Ask my father, Chloé ." Adrien snapped, taking Kim by surprised. Today just seemed to get weirder in weirder. "I didn't even know until I got there. I'm surprised my father is even letting me _near _her considering she got Kagami to come after me when she was akumatized or even pretended to hang me over some building." He deflated at that outburst, running his fingers through his hair. "I don't _know, _okay? But," he sat up once again, the devilishly glint back in his eyes. "I have an idea on how to make sure it never happens."

"Oh," She raised an eyebrow, resting her chin on her palm and moved forward. "do tell."

He had to admit it, Kim was curious too. How would Adrien, the guy who would rather let someone lie than confront them on it, get Lila Rossi off her peg? Whatever it was, he was ready to join in on it. 

"I have an interview tomorrow and they will more than likely ask about who Lila is. You guys want to help me come up with something that'll make sure it'll embarrass my father if he lets her model again?" The model looked completely different than he had a moment ago. Where he was once frustrated and guilt ridden, he was now bouncing on his seat, ready for this mischievous plan. 

And of course, Kim was more than happy to help. And dare he say he had fun while doing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise we're getting to the good stuff now. thank you guys for all the support and love!


	4. Oh No.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim, oh Kim

“So," Kim started, throwing his arm around Adrien and squeezing it. He definitely tried to make it seem casual and not like he wanted to interrogate the boy.  
  
Key word, _tried_.  
  
"Mind telling me why you told Marinette that?"

The four of them came back to school a little early from lunch. Marinette and Chloé had left to finish up some assignments, which left the boys by themselves. Kim was more than happy to take this opportunity.  
  
He watched as Adrien sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I just thought Lila wanted to try and impress people. Look,” he waved his hands around them. “Chloé is the mayor's daughter, Marinette's family has the most well know bakery and _Jagged Stone_ claimed her as his niece, hell, _I'm_ the son of a well known designer. Alya's mom is the most well known chef in Paris, Kitty Section is also becoming quite popular, Marc and Nath have made a few popular comics- my point is," he turned to face the taller boy and Kim could quickly see how frustrating the whole topic was becoming. "We're all pretty cool, so I just thought she was saying all that stuff so we would think she’s cool. And besides, I thought the whole hype of her would go down eventually."  
  
When he put it that way, Kim could understand why Adrien didn't bother mentioning anything. If Lila felt a little intimidated by them, of course she would try to hype herself up a little.

Still, did she need to lie about everything?

And try to harm Marinette?  
  
"Plus, what harm was she doing by lying about herself a bit?" Adrien let out a huff and shook his head. "I mean, who would lie about stuff like volunteering and helping children around the world? Her mom's a diplomat. Maybe there are a little truth in what she says?"  
  
"I didn't think of it that way." Kim admitted, removing his arm from Adrien and smiling sheepishly. "I will admit, I thought she was pretty cool in the beginning. But now," Frowning, Kim looked over at the group of people clustered around the Italian girl. "I think she's pretty manipulative."  
  
Adrien nodded. "I agree. But pointing out some petty lies didn’t seem like the trouble was worth it. Now that she established her intentions towards Marinette-”(Kim might have stepped back a bit at this point but in his defense, Adrien was quite scary when he when mad!)- it’s time for her to realize there are such things as consequences.”  
  
Something came to Kim’s mind at the moment, one where he felt his stomach drop in disgust. "Do you think she's also faking her injuries?"  
  
"I know she is." With that answer, Adrien scowled. "Amazing she could walk so well considering how she accused Marinette of tripping her down the stairs. Fractures don't just go away like that."  
  
Eyebrows furrowed, Kim watched how Lila said something, only to have Max flutter towards her and pick up her bag. An anger, bright, red, fury, filled him as he watched how his classmates interacted with her. How dare she trick his friends into doing stuff for her? As he continued to stare, he noticed the look of disgust and distaste that crossed her face every time they weren't looking at her.  
  
It took everything in him to not walk about there and-  
  
_No, you're a gentleman, Kim._  
  
"She's so obviously using them. How could they not see?" He waved his hands in their direction, scoffing at the sight.

”We all been fooled by her Kim, don’t take to heart.”

Frowning, Kim faced Adrien. He knew when he smelled blood and that dip in the model's voice, the cold look in his gaze- _so__mething_ must have happened between the blonde boy and Lila for him to be this distaste towards her. “What did she do to you?”

When Adrien grimaced at that, Kim knew he was right if the wide grin was anything to go by. He leaned in close with his eyebrows raised. "What did she do, Agreste?"

"The right question would be, what hasn't she done? She somehow lied her way to get into my house, made it seem like I wasn't doing well in school, and somehow pissed off Kagami- I don't _like _her." He ran his fingers through his hair seemingly in more distress than Kim has ever seen him be. The innocent model boy, who was the literal sunshine of all of Paris, not liking someone?

What more did Kim need to be firm in his thoughts about Lila?

"And you know what she kept saying?" Adrien groaned and dropped his head in his awaiting hands. "How great of couple we would make. Do you know how awkward it was during the photoshoot?"

Wait, hold _on._

That was not what he heard.

"What are you talking about? She told Nino she wasn't into you."

Throwing his hands in the air, Adrien huffed. "We've already established that she's a compulsive liar, Kim."

Oh.

_Right._

"Not cool, dude." Shaking his head, Kim said, hardly hardly paying attention to the boy because his attention was dragged elsewhere.

And more like to _who._

Grinning, he waved his arm. “Hey buttercup!” He called out, smile widening as she rolled her eyes.

”Why don’t you scream that a little louder? I don’t think the dude in the back heard you.”

Maybe if Kim didn’t notice the amused glint in her eyes, he would have kept his mouth shut.

_Maybe_.

“Buttercup!” A little louder and threw his arms around the bluenette. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere, darling!”

He really wasn’t, but his exaggerated performance was completely worth it to hear that laugh from Marinette. Because even with this situation surrounding them, he will not let that Italian girl ruin their day.

-

"Just... how?"

"They were just sitting there!"

"So you just... decided to take it?"

"Well, you can't let good donuts go to waste! I was doing the world justice, okay?"

Marinette shook her head in exasperation, not having expected a laughing Kim crashing through her home with an angry person chasing him. It was a miracle she was able to calm them down with free pastries because they looked ready to be akumatized. Marinette did _not _want that.

"What if they got akumatized and you got captured, Kim?"

Kim had the audicity to wave her away and spoke through the food in his mouth. "Ladybug and Chat Noir always save the day, anyways. Besides," he puffed out his chest, grin stretching from ear to ear. "I can take on any puny akuma." That was the reason he was entrusted with a miraculous before, right? Because he was an exceptional human being! "This monkey always bounces back!"

Sighing, Marinette pushed him away, not believing just how ridiculous this boy could get. But... at least he had her back. And what was his obsession with monkeys lately?

But before she could voice out her questions, a knock on her trapdoor stopped her. Raising her eyes to meet Kim's, she noticed how his attention was on the food on his plate. She rolled her eyes and moved towards her door, surprised when she caught sight on who it was on the other side.

"Hey, Marinette, can I talk to you for a second?"

Blinking, she stepped back and waved towards the boy currently on her chaise, who looked like he was having a bit too_ much _fun with his food. "Kim's here too, do you mind?"

Nino shook his head and stepped into the room, ballcap in his hand. "Nah, that's fine. It's about Alya. She found something out about Lila and looks about ready to go on a murder spree?"

Eyebrow raised, Marinette simply just stared at Nino, preparing for a punchline, a twist, a 'haha, gotcha!' moment, but it never came.

"Wait, is she looking for team mates? Cause that sounds like fun and I'm a totally nut for disas-"

"Kim," Marinette groaned and shot him a glare. "May I need to remind you on what happened _earlier_?" 

"Come on, buttercup, lighten up! We could totally bring the Double LC team back, now with Nino here!" Kim jumped up, already excited for this possibility. He was already thinking of all the things they could do now. Maybe they could-

"Uh, have you guys seen Adrien's latest interview?"

Both Marinette and Kim snapped their head towards Nino, shocked at what they heard.

"I thought that wasn't being released until tomorrow!" Marinette yelped, her hands lunging towards her phone.

Kim pouted and grabbed his phone as well. "Adrien wouldn't tell me what he said in it and I can't believe we missed it!"

Nino rubbed the back of his neck, clearly stressed out by the whole ordeal. "You guys don't understand- it's not just the interview. Someone posted a video of a conversation between Lila and Adrien right after the interview was leaked."

Both Kim and Marinette glanced at each other, not fully comprehending the new information thrown at them.

"You mean," Kim started, eyes furrowed. "Someone leaked Adrien's interview and a conversation between him and Lila?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys. love eater broke my heart and i haven't recovered yet.
> 
> find me on tumblr at @laadychat 
> 
> I had a heard time coming up with this chapter, i apologize the wait! updates will be faster now!


	5. What If

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kim is protective and not here for any bullshit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please reread the ending of the previous chapter. I have changed it! Or else the beginning of this chapter won't make sense.

Nino nodded, his shoulder drooping as he gave Marinette a sad look. "Look, DC, I want you to know I always fully believed you. It just took me a bit to understand what was going on, but that doesn't excuse my inability to stand up for you."  
  
Taken aback by the sudden confession, Marinette stepped back with both hands raised to her chest. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Yeah," Kim stepped forward, making sure he was standing in front of Marinette in a defensive way. He didn't like the way Nino was speaking, how sad he sounded- _what happened?_ "What are you tryna say?"  
  
Hanging his head low, Nino fidgeted with his hat. Taking a moment to gather himself, he then lifted his head. Locking gaze with the bluenette, he said, "About how Lila framed you and caused you to get expelled. We shouldn't have brushed it off when you mentioned it was Lila who did it."  
  
Marinette was stunned, left speechless even. Whatever Adrien had said in the interview must really have been damning for it to cause this effect. She knew most people didn't believe she did all of the things she was accused of but no one(obviously Kim and Adrien were the exception) took her side when she said it was Lila who framed her. Taking advantage of the silence that followed his declaration, Marinette brought her phone up and searched for the particular interview. Once she found it, she pressed play.  
  
_"Welcome all Parisians! Our special guest of the day is none other than Adrien Agreste!"_  
  
The camera moved towards the model, who was smiling widely. Marinette knew Adrien had an image to uphold and if he was going to out Lila, it was going to be done subtly. However, as the interview went on, both Marinette and Kim were very much not pleased. Adrien hasn't said anything so far to hold up on his promise.

And Kim was getting angry with each passing second. He wasn't hearing nothing on any revenge promises Adrien gave. Nothing about Lila, nothing about the lies that spill from her mouth daily, nothing about how she treated Marinette- _nothing_.  
  
Just as he was about to voice his thoughts out loud, he felt a hand on his arm. Looking over, he saw the grim look on Nino's face and understood what it meant.  
  
_Not yet. Almost._  
  
And the next question asked by the interviewer had him snapping his attention back to the small device.  
  
_"Is there anything you'd like to change about the school you go to?"_  
  
Adrien looked like he was taking the question seriously before responding. _"I want there to be more lessons on consent, personal space, and what to do when going through an identity crisis."_  
  
Kim narrowed his eyes, his attention completely on how the blonde's answers. _Where was he going with this?_  
  
When asked to further clarify, Adrien nodded. "_I think many don't understand how crucial of a concept is. It's extremely important to learn about it and also to respect people's wishes."_  
  
_"You sound like you have personal experience with this."_  
  
Adrien paused, looking as if debating whether to continue or not.  
  
_Come on, don't be a coward now,_ Kim thought.  
  
_"There is someone I know who has a hard time understanding this. At one point, they had lied their way into my home." A visible shiver went through his body. "They like touching me, a lot. It's kind of creepy."_  
  
_"Have you brought this up to the school?"_  
  
At this question, Adrien frowned. _"They expelled a friend of mine without listening to her because of this person. If they don't believe a smart, selfless, hardworking person, they're not going to listen to me."_  
  
The interviewer seemed pretty surprised by the model, as if this wasn't what they were expecting. _"It sounds like a pretty big deal and should be taken seriously." _  
  
Adrien nodded and from there, the conversation shifted to a more lighter topic but the damage was done.  
  
It was clear to both Marinette and Kim who Adrien was talking about.  
  
At first, it didn't seem like a very satisfying interview to Kim. Adrien has been very vague and didn't directly point out the fact of how it was specifically _Lila _that caused Marinette to be expelled. But the more he thought about it...

"I have to give Adrien some credit, he actually knew what exactly to say. Not only did he throw the school under the bus, but now people will start to think about who could be this person that invades his space is." Eyebrows raised, Kim turned to Marinette and Nino. "The only person anyone sees attached to Adrien and who Marinette said framed her is Lila. Anyone with two brain cells could see that."  
  
Nino frowned and nodded his head. "That's when I understood what happened. And apparently, his dad didn't approve what Adrien said and it wasn't gonna be released." He then brought the phone back to their faces. "But someone leaked it along with this video." He tapped on the next video in the que.  
  
This time, it was in their locker room and the person recording was in an angle that clearly showed Adrien facing a brunette."

_"Oh, Adrien, how about I come over today again? I know we had lots of fun last time!"_ Lila exclaimed, her voice a false cheery and airy tone.  
  
_"No, thank you. I didn't appreciate you lying to Nathalie and my bodyguard like that again."_ Adrien's tone was flat, clearly not amused by the girl's act.  
  
Lila rolled her eyes and latched herself to his arm. _"Come on, Adrien. Everyone basically thinks we're dating anyways."_  
  
Adrien grunted and goes to remove himself from her. _"We're not dating- you need to stop telling everyone that."_  
  
_"It was Marinette, right? She said something to you? You know you can't trust everything she says- she's absolutely obsessed with you!"_  
  
Alarmed by that confession, Kim quickly paused the video and was quick to wrap his arm around the bluenette. He should have realized Lila would try to use the knowledge of Marinette's crush against her. He noticed how wide her eyes became and the sudden sharp intake of breath. Carefully removing the phone from her hands, he rested his chin on her head. "Hey, hey, it's going to be okay." He muttered softly. When he was certain she was breathing better and wouldn't pass out, he continued the video.

_"Don't you dare bring Marinette in this." _The threat was clear in his voice, the anger heard on every syllable. Adrien narrowed his eyes. "_Marinette has done nothing to you and you've had it out for her for months."_  
  
"_It's not like she's innocence- ms. goodie-two-shoes is a fake and I'm just showing everyone that."_ Lila flipped one of her ponytails over her shoulder, her eyes displaying how disinterested she was over this topic. "_She could have quietly been a sheep like everyone else. But no, she had to act like she was better than everyone else. Besides_," she smiled wickly, taking a step towards the blonde. "_Did you like the way I got her expelled? Just a few words and 'poof', she was gone. And I can do it again."_  
  
It was obvious Adrien was doing his best to remain calm. _"What is wrong with you, Lila? Marinette is the sweetest, kindest girl there is and you've hated her since the moment you walked into this school."_

_"Because it's fun, Adrien. Did you see the way no one believed her? Do you see the way no one would listen to her when it was obvious how ridiculous my claims are? So go ahead, Adrien. Try to be the bigger person and take her side. If no one believed the girl that does everything for her class, no one will believe a rich, blonde, push-over model." _

With each sentence, she stepped closer and closer to him, the camera not capturing the expressions on her face. But it did capture Adrien's. And he was pissed.

_"No matter what you say, Lila, Marinette will always be the better person. So continue to play you tricks, karma will come back to bite you. And I will be there, right next to her when it happens."  
_

The video cut out right then, just as Adrien was stepping around Lila.

This video right here was everything Kim could have asked for- the obvious evidence needed to bring down Lila's sense of superiority. It was articulated so well that Kim wanted to know who captured it and the best way to repay them.

"I will give the person who leaked these videos my first born child."

Okay, maybe that wouldn't be the best gift to give but that's what people promised whenever they wanted their wish granted in fairy tales.

Not hearing any responses, he looked around and saw how stunned Marinette was and the amused glance from his DJ friend. "You know what this means? This means Lila will be brought down!" He jumped in place, his arms in the air. "She'll be humiliated and wait-" Furrowing his eyebrow, he stopped jumping and glanced at Marinette in concern. "If she becomes an akuma from this, she'll probably come after you, buttercup."

That statement was enough to bring Marinette out of her stupor and she groaned. "I don't have time to deal with an akumatized Lila, I have two commissions I need to finish by tomorrow!"

"Can we go back to the fact that Alya might quite literally murder Lila? I don't want my girlfriend to go to jail for first degree murder."

"Welp," Kim shrugged, disregarding the annoyed noises from Nino and stretched himself out on the chaise once more. "I can't help you there. If anything, I'd be the first one to join her."

Nino opened his mouth, only the closing again. Sighing, he put his cap back on. "Good point, but-"

The sudden opening of the trap door and n loud, '_GUESS WHAT I DID, LOSERS' _ interrupted whatever Nino was going to say.

Chloe quickly made her way to the bluentte and grabbed her shoulder. "Am I amazing or am I amazing?" She shrieked, shaking the girl in front of her.

Not startled by the abrupt entrance, Kim moved towards the two girls and grinned down at the blonde girl. He knew whatever Chloe was going to say was going to be _good. _This day was just getting better and better. Deciding to humor her, he raised an eyebrow. "Mind telling me what you did that made you so amazing?"

"Why," she straightened up and Kim has never seen such a smug look in his face. And maybe he was a tad bit afraid for what she might say. "I leaked Adrien's interview and got this juicy video of him and Lila. And," she flipped her hair, her smug smile dripping with mischief. "I might or might not have also leaked that too."

Stunned, Kim could hardly pick up his jaw from the floor. Just his luck he would find out who did this marvelous act of heroism. But then again, who else could have probably gotten a hold of the videos?

"So we can safely say, the bitch is no more!" The blonde girl called out, clasping her hands in front of her in victory.

Just as that statement left her lips, the ground shook, sending all four teens on to the ground. They all knew it was just a matter of time before an akuma was going to appear with all these revelation but it didn't stop one bluenette from looking at her sewing machine longingly.

"_Marinette Dupain-Cheng." _A loud, very much _angry_ voice called out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw that trailer for chat blanc and lemme say- how could they keep this episode from us? Nd baby boy straight up transformed in front of gorilla because an akuma butterfly was?? gonna?? get?? marinette?? poetic. just the Marichat content everyone wished for.  
Might have lasted like 2 seconds but!! that's irrelevant.
> 
> Also Miracle Queen? Was not here for it. I was sad for DAYS. okay? DAYSS.
> 
> find me on tumblr @laadychat !! Would love to get to know you all<3


	6. My Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The thing about Kim is, he's overly protective of his friends.  
And Marinette was very much one of his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did quite a bit of editting on this chapter- also, look out for chp. 7! It's in the works and will be updated within the next 2 days. <3

Of course the moment all four teens escape the bakery, they were forced to split up. And it was a miracle how Kim managed to be keep track of Marinette.

Despite all of her excuses to escape _him_. 

"Marinette, are you _insane_? What do you mean, 'split up'?" Kim whispered-screamed as they ducked behind an alley. "There's no way I'm gonna leave you alone."

"She's after me, Kim! If she comes for me, she'll be after you too." Marinette argued, and Kim wasn't appreciating how annoyed she sounded. _Seriously_? 

But no matter what, Kim is a hero and heroes protect people. Which means Kim will protect Marinette.

Even if a ten feet, weird winged, _angered_ Lila akuma was after her.

All in a hard day's work, right?

"Look, I'll protect you, buttercup. If Lila wants to get to you, she'll have to get through me first." Frowning at her, he could see she wanted to say something else, but he shook his head. _Not now._ He could hear the sound of the akuma fading away, which relieved some of the tension in his body. Holding his breath, he peeked around the corner, a grin breaking out once he sees the coast was clear. Without any further hesitation, he grabbed her wrist. "She's gone, let's go!"

Okay, so maybe Lila was a bit smarter than Kim gave her credit for. Because as he was dashing towards a different alley way, he heard the fluttering sound of feathers but in his defense, he didn't see or hear her before! With his heart sinking, gut coiling in dread, he turned around to face the akuma, pushing Marinette behind him.

He felt Marinette tugging herself out of his grip, which only solidified his will to protect her.

(After a moment, he noticed she didn't even look scared. Also, _why was she still trying to leave? Hello, an akuma Lila was on the loose!) _

"There you are, you little pest." Lila growled, causing Kim to step back. Looking at the akumatized girl, Kim decided he preferred seeing her from a distance. Her wings were white, the pefect display of innocence, but the look in her eyes was anything but. The showed her clear vengeance, the hate she felt, and Kim wanted was so _confused. _Why did she hate the bluenette so much? And the way she moved, so elegantly and slow, had his skin crawling with dread.

"Step aside, Kim. I just want that stupid girl behind you." 

"No way, Lila." Puffing his chest out, Kim stepped in front of Marinette, tilting his chin up. She might make him tremble a bit but he stood tall and defiant, never giving her the idea that he was anything but confident. "If you want her, you gotta go through me."

"My name is not Lila." She growled, making her way towards them. "I am Exposure. That insufferable, little, annoyance has caused me problems. Come now," She lowered her voice, speaking in quiet tone as her eyes soften. "Can't you see how much pain she put me through? I simply just want to get even."

Scoffing, Kim rolled his eyes, trying with all his might to not show how absolutely terrified he actually is. But when it comes to protecting his friends, Kim would even face the devil if he had to. 

And Marinette is his friend. His _oldest_ friend.

If he has any say in it, there's no way Lila will lay a _hair_ on Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

"Hiding behind another face, Lila? Come on, this is getting a bit boring." He called out, slowly moving away from where he stood previously. He knew Marinette was still there and if only he could keep Lila's attention, just enough for Marinette to run away...

It seemed that his plan was succeeding and he had only a moment to celebrate before she lifted her arm towards him.

"If only she didn't have to open her mouth, if only she could have been as stupid as the rest of you, I would have owned the whole school. _Adrien would have been mine."_

Halting his movements as disgust filled him so deeply, it rendered him speechless. That was her whole plan? To be popular? To have Adrien? _What is she, a psycho?_

"Adrien is his own person, he doesn't belong to anyone. And I'm pretty he was the one who outted you, Rossi." He said, dodging the beam that was headed his way. What she was saying wasn't making any sense- why would she be upset with Marinette? Lila was _already_ pretty popular at school and no one really believed Marinette when she called her out a few weeks ago. 

So why was she after her?

"Because that weird ass _freak_ tricked him!" She roared, stomping towards him. "She tricked him and now she's tricked you." Aiming her lazer-arm at Kim again, she spoke with an eerie calm that unnerved him. "But it's okay, exposing you would be enough until I have my hands on that girl."

Bracing himself for another dodge, he looked around quickly and a breath of relief left his lips when he saw that Marinette had left. 

Then it hit him.

The clarity of it all and he nearly kicked himself for not knowing sooner.

Turning to the akumatized girl, he cocked his head to the side. "Oh, I think I know why you don't like buttercup." Eyes wide in mock innocence, he cupped his cheeks. "Are you jealous of her, Lila? Because everyone likes her?"

There's one thing Kim took great pride in(besides swimming, that is) and it was the ability to get under people's skin. He had an uncanny knack for it and he was pretty proud of himself now. Just seeing her get so fired up, so angry, had him feeling giddy.

Despite how enraged the girl in front of him is, he went on, moving out of the way of each beam that came his way. "Or maybe it's because she's _actually_ met some famous people? Jagged Stone calls her his niece!" He smirked. "Or is it because between you and her, Adrien decided to protect _her_?"

Her loud shriek only made him grin harder, having known he was indeed right about everything he said. And it felt great. "Are you jealous because Marinette is an amazing person and you'll never, _ever_, be like her? So what do you do?" He leveled an unimpressed gaze at her, his previous joy replaced by anger with each word that left his lips. "You try to destroy her credibility, her reputation-" Glaring now, he balled his fist. Because how dare she. "You tried to destroy her, Lila." And like a switch, he stood straighter, no longer frightened of the girl in front of him. He wasn't going to be afraid of someone who manipulated his friends, who lied to everyone, for their own personally gains. 

He was _not afraid of Lila Rossi._

"But Marinette's not alone. And no matter what you do, Rossi," Knowing that the next thing he'll say would get him hit by her, he stopped running. He crossed his arms, a smug smile replacing the scowl. "I will always have her back."

Closing his eyes shut as a beam headed towards him, he felt a strong string wrap around his waist and yank him away to a nearby roof. Once all movement ceased, he opened his eyes and a wave of relief washed over him as he saw who saved him.

Only to cringe back from the glare he got in return.

"You know, that was pretty dangerous." She started, causing him to hunch his shoulder and cower away. "Trying to rile up an akuma like that. You could have been seriously injured."

Shrugging his shoulders, Kim looked away. He was perfectly aware how dangerous it was but he couldn't find an ounce of him that regretted it. Because of him, Marinette was able to escape and be _safe_.

"She was going after my friend. I had to do something."

"Maybe you could have hid and waited for us to show up?"

Shaking his head, he finally glanced back at the girl in front of him. "That girl is from my school and she hasn't made Marinette's life easy. Plus," he grinned. "I've been dying to say those words to her for a while."

The spotted hero seemed startled for a moment before she sighed and pulled out her yoyo. "That was quite a speech, I'm sure your friend appreciated it."

But he hadn't said all those things in hope of Marinette hearing them- he said them because he _wanted_ to. He couldn't figure out why exactly Lila didn't like Marinette and with what just happened, he was beyond pissed. Lila, despite Marinette doing her best to avoid the girl, has made it her mission to ruin his friend's reputation. Not only that, but she had even _threatened _her, causing the bluenette to not feel _safe_ and that wasn't okay! He said all those things because _how dare she hurt _the mostly kindest, compassionate, selfless person he knows? He said all those things because he wanted Lila to know something- Le Chien Kim will not back down if someone was hurting _Marinette_. And as long as she kept her ways, he will be there to make sure no one else falls prey to Lila Rossi.

Nodding in satisfactions, he grinned and called out to the super heroine.

"Hey, Ladybug?" Kim reached out, placing a head on her shoulder. "Can you make sure to protect Marinette for me? She's my _em gái_ and wouldn't be able to forgive myself if Lila hurts her."

Yeah, they might have been a bit distant over the past couple of years but he always considered Marinette as his little sister. He took the role of being the bigger brother quite seriously and he took pride in it.

Ladybug smiled softly and nodded. "You're friend is protected with me and Chat here. You just keep yourself safe until I come back for you, okay?"

Kim grinned and stepped back. With those two heroes protecting them, what was there to be afraid of?

And when Ladybug came back and handed him the monkey miraculous, maybe he felt a bit _too smug _participating in Lila's take down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> em gái = little sister/younger sister  
Dang, i think there might be just one of two chapters left of this fic! Thanks for all the love, everyone. <3  
and if you wanna rant about the Chat Blanc or Felix eps, my tumblr is laadychat and my DM's are always opened!


	7. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything was finally over and now, Kim could breath. He felt good about himself.

Kim expected today to be a wonderous, amazing day. He just found out some great news!

Don't get him, today _did_ end up as an awesome day, despite how he almost got himself killed by the hands of a certain Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Yeah, it might have been, quite possibly, his fault but it's not like he did it all on purpose! It was a mere accident, but what else could be done?

And it all started because Kim was just a tad bit too excited to share some news.

-

It was an amazing, glorious, _wonderful_ morning.

_Lila Rossi was going back to Italy._

Maybe Kim shouldn't have felt as giddy as he did but _eh_, he shrugged it off. As it turns out, not only did Lila admit to everyone, during one of her rants as Exposure, that she had threatened Marinette, but that she also hated Ladybug. Enough to try and get her miraculous taken away. Let's just say... that didn't sit right with many people.

Especially when she claimed how the superheroin was her _best friend._

Alya was not very pleased.

She also kept rambling about how Adrien was suppose to be hers and by the time the akuma was cleansed, everyone had heard just what exactly Lila Rossi wanted.

(Bless Alya and her never wavering love for capturing everything on camera.)

It was quickly decided soon afterwards that Paris might not be a great place for her and Kim was absolutely thrilled with this. Dashing out of his house the moment he could, he ran towards the bakery, gave the two owner's a brief greeting before bolting up the stairs. He knew his friend would be sound a sleep at this time- there was still a whole hour left before school started. Which means, Marinette doesn't know about this great news and Kim just _had _to be the one to tell her.

Slamming the door up, he jumped through, ready to drag the bluenette girl from her bed when something caught his eyes.

Right there, sitting on her desk, was the most weirdest, cutest, adorable thing he's ever seen. There it was, just sitting there a cookie in its hand. Kim knew Marinette made dolls but that had to be, by far, the cutest thing she's ever made. Deciding he wanted a closer look, he walked over to it but froze when its mouth moved.

Marinette has a- a _thing_ on her desk and it's _chewing_\- _what the fuck?_

Blinking, his jaw dropped. Leaning closer, Kim saw its eyes move along with him and-

_Oh_.

Taking in sharp breath, Kim reached out to pat it and-

_Kim.exe has stopped working._

_Oh_.

It's a kwami.

But why was a kwami doing in Marinette's room, eating a cook-

Leaning away, he whipped his head to look up at where his friend was currently sprawled out, her light snores sounding extremely loud in the sudden quiet room. Still eyeing the thi- _kwami, _he walked over, grabbed a hold of the blanket and yanked.

She didn't do much but groan, hands grabbing at whatever she could. "Tikki, I'm not ready to go, lemme sleep."

Rolling his eyes, Kim glanced back at the creature, eyes going wide he found it floating near his face. Maintaining eye contact, Kim yanked the blanket harder this time, nearly sending Marinette tumbling onto the ground.

"Gimme five more m'nutes." She groaned louder, turning her back to them.

"That's not me, Marinette."

Kim just stared. Stared not because he's never seen a kwami before(_hello, King Monkey?_) but because it just confirmed something about his friend.

And suddenly, he was beaming. He felt his heart swell and turned around, his arms around the unsuspected girl and picked her off the bed. "Oh my God, _oh my God._" He yelled out, stumbling backwards.

She yelped and tried to squirm out from his hold but Kim wasn't done freaking out. "You're her? You're Ladybug!" He held her tighter, laughter spilling from his lips.

But when Marinette suddenly went still in his arm, he paused. Because maybe yelling that out at 7:30 in the morning was not the smartest idea. Shaking his head, he pulled back slightly, giving her the biggest smile he could.

She _might _have looked at him like she was ready to bite his head off, but he wasn't going to let that get into the way of the most wonderful secret his just found out. That the one and only Marinette Dupain-Cheng was indeed Paris' hero Ladybug.

And all the times he was given the miraculous by her, she thought he was deemed worthy enough to help.

_She trusts him._

"I don't know what you're talking about, Kim. Put me down." The sleep disappeared from her voice and was narrowing her eyes at him. But Kim only pointed his chin towards the kwami that was floating behind her head.

"Come on, Mari, I know what a kwami looks like and that," He set her down, only to spin her around. "Is a kwami."

He watched her carefully, enjoying the wide range of emotions that flickered across her face. Until finally, it landed on a very blank face.

"Tikki, what happened?"

"He just slammed the door and was suddenly there!" The little kwami responded, looking everywhere but her master. Kim was starting to feel bad, in his glee, he forgot that Ladybug didn't want anyone knowing her secret. "Plus, I was hunger and was eating..." She muttered, her antenna drooping.

"Hey, don't take it out on her," Kim rested his hands on Marinette's shoulder. "I came bolting in her because I was excited to share some good news with you!"

He flinched, though, when she turned to face him, eyes very clearly showing how _livid _she was. "You will go downstairs right now while I get ready and then we'll be going to the cafe near the school." She pointed a finger at him and he ducked his head, gulping. He knew that look and _oh God_, what he would do not to be at the receiving end of it. "And we're going to _talk, _Le Chien Kim."

Nodding quickly, he stumbled as he made his way down the stairs, finally breathing easily when he heard her door slam shut. Collapsing on one of the couches in the livingroom, Kim went over just how much this morning was changing his perspective on things. Because before, when Marinette talked about distrusting Lila, he agreed but still couldn't fully understand the extent of how much she didn't like Lila.

Now that he knew she was also Ladybug, it puts the pieces all together. It was clear Ladybug didn't like Lila- hell, Lila admitted to wanting her gone. It also makes the whole Volpina incident so much clearer.

(No wonder Marinette seemed so desperate to ditch him when the Lila akuma appeared. And _of course_ Ladybug wouldn't have been scared about an akuma attack. Much less _Lila.)_

This only made him feel proud over how much Marinette changed. She was no longer just taking Chloe's bullying, she was more confident, and he always knew she would be a great leader. It's just so great to finally see her become the person he knew she was.

But then he frowned, thinking about all the tired looks, the way she would step up to help anyone and everyone-

He loved how much more confident she's become, but he didn't like how much more responsibilities she was taking up. Being a class representative was already too much work, not including all of those commission she gets. Now, add being a super hero into that mix and Kim wasn't liking the image he was getting.

Vowing to be there to help in any way he can, he sat up straighter. Because with the way everything is headed now, she was sure to burn out soon.

"Kim?"

Jumping in his seat, he whipped his head around to face the voice. Eyes wide when he noticed the floating creature, he quickly scanned, wondering if Marinette was around the corner.

"She'll be down in a bit but I wanted to tell you something."

Perking up at that, Kim held his palms out, smiling slightly when Tikki landed on them. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to say thank you, first." She grinned up at him and he raised his eyebrows in surprise, not expecting this. "You were there for her when no one else was. Thank you for believing in her."

He quickly nodded, his face split in a grin. "Of course! Marinette might be clumsy, but she's got the biggest heart I've ever seen. I mean, come on," He rolled his eyes, huffing. "Chloe's been a dick to her for years and buttercup never done anything like that to her. Hell, she doesn't even _talk _to Lila."

The kwami smiled then flew up to pat his cheek. "She isn't happy that you now know, but she's okay with it as long as you keep it under wraps. It's a good thing Chat found out last night or else he wouldn't have been thrilled to know you beat him to the punch."

Before he could respond to _that, _he heard someone clearing their throat behind him and he quickly tried to hide Tikki, afraid it might have been one of the parents.

His relief was only short lived when he noticed it was actually just Marinette and she was _glaring. _Giving her the best cheekiest smile he could, he stood up and walked towards her. "So... wanna hear the good news?" He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, guiding her towards the door.

"We still have to talk, _g__ēgē, _don't think I'm letting you get away with this." She grumbled, opening up her bag for Tikki to slip in. Once she was secured, she glanced up at the taller boy and Kim was pleased to see that she _was _a bit curios as to what he had to say. "But what's this good news?"

Grinning, he pulled out his phone, showing her the message Chloe had sent out to them. "Turns out, _em gái, _Lila is on a plane back to Italy as we speak."

When the girl next to him laughed, he couldn't help but join with her. Things were definitely going to start looking up now and Kim was glad to see a happy Marinette. Because if anyone deserves some peace, it was definitely the girl that has the safety of Paris on her shoulder.

So yeah, today did turn out awesome.

Especially when their classmates finally admitted and apologized to Marinette for brushing off her concerns. Kim did feel a bit smug when _Chloe_ pointed out how _she_ believed her before they all did.

(Alya was pretty livid to find out someone had _threatened _Marinette when the attack was streamed but he didn't want to get in between _that.)_

All in all, a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, this is the end, fams. I had fun writing it but I'm sad it's already over, haha. I hope you guys liked it and lemme know what y'all thought!
> 
> I'm also on tumblr as laadychat <3
> 
> Have an amazing day!


	8. Bonus Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What everyone's been waiting for.

It was just her luck.

The moment she slipped out of Kim's sight, she thought all was in the clear. And when she heard the rest of Kim's dialogue, she just _knew _his butt was going to get hit by that beam soon.

(Although, it really did make her happy that someone was standing up to an _akuma _on her behalf.)

She called on her transformation and jumped out of the alley, just in time to reach Kim before he was toast. Just as she was leaving his side to finally join her partner, Kim just had to go and be the good friend he is and ask her to protect, well, _her._ How could she _not _get him his miraculous after the bravery he displayed?

The fact that he would enjoy this akuma take-down as much as she would definitely did not have an influence on her decision. Definitely.

But that's about how far her luck went.

During the battle, Chat Noir just _had _to say something that made her oh-so curious. The way he talked about her civilian identity was with a friendly familiarity and it just didn't make sense to her. Sure, she's ran into her partner a few times as Marinette but does it really mean they are friends like that?

It wasn't until she heard him mutter something that really caused her to balk and go wide-eyed.

_"Honestly, I should have dragged her more in that interview. I let her off too easy."_

When was Chat involved in an interview? Much less an interview about _Lila?_

And one dissing her? It just didn't make any sense! The only interview she knows of that did such a thing was Adrien's interview and-

_That doesn't make any sense!_

Okay, so it did make sense. It made _a lot_ of sense. They are both extremely good-looking blondes, who just happen to have amazing green eyes and they were both just so incredibly sweet. 

Did she mention their ridiculous need to constantly pun?

_But could they really be the same person?_

To test the waters, she swung and landed next to her partner. "Did you hear why she got akumatized?"

He shook his head and that only caused her suspicion to grow. "She said something about Marinette turning people against her, but quite frankly, I hope this is the last time we deal with her."

"Apparently, there was a leaked interview of that one Agreste kid. Chloe released it." She was pushing it, she knows. But on God, she thinks she knows just exactly her partner might be and there was no way she was going to be able to keep that to herself.

"She also released that one video of Rossi and Agreste. She's a grade-A psycho."

_Interesting. _Chat knew that Chloe released both videos. The only people in that room when she came charging in was her, Kim, and Nino. But of course _Adrien_ would know if Chloe pulled off such a stunt.

Which led to one simple, yet terrifying conclusion that she absolutely refused to voice, even in her own mind.

"Wait, how did _you _know about the videos? It was released literally less than an hour ago and no one knows it was Chloe."

She stared at him when he asked those question, released that she's been caught. But wasn't that just what she was expecting when asking her partner these questions?

"And what interview were you talking about, _chaton_?"

She knows she shouldn't have opened that door.

-

He swears on all nine lives he wasn't expecting someone to actually _hear_ him. Not when he was on a roof, away from everyone else.

But of course, he forgot about his Lady's amazing hearing and of course _she_ was the one that heard him. In his defense, he did first mention how he didn't know anything about the cause of the akumatization. But when he slipped up and started talking about the video released of him and Lila, he knew he was screwed. But then it hit him.

His partner knew about the videos _and _that Chloe was the one who released them.

The only people that knew about that was a handful. Handful as in, literally him and three other people. And he knows that because Chloe _told him. _Right after Lila got akumatized.

So there's a possibility Ladybug is someone he knows _personally._

And by the way she was treating Lila, she is someone he knows personally and doesn't like Lila.

Which narrows the scope by quite a bit. In fact, to just _one _person specifically.

And since when was he ever that lucky? There's no way his partner would be the only other girl who has his utmost respect.

Scratch that, it makes perfect sense but again, when was he ever _that _lucky?

Going back to the start of all this, he was suddenly feeling nervous. Not only was he fairly certain who was behind that mask, but he's sure she knows who he is too. It wouldn't be hard to piece together who he is based off of his comment and knowing the details of the videos. He might as well have just flashed a big neon sign above his head, declaring to be the one and only Adrien Agreste.

Then again, _she's _basically done the same thing. She even asked him question, practically trying to get him to confirm her suspicion. It's not his fault, right?

Well, not entirely.

But this chance, this possibility, had him wanting to end the fight right then and there so he could ask his partner just what was going on. And boy, did that akuma battle not last long after that.

(He felt pretty smug when he heard Lila was disappointed it was such a short battle. Did she really think she was clever enough for it to last even an hour?)

But soon after the girl was handed over to authorities, his attention was drawn towards a certain spotted hero. Walking up to her, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Ready to go, m'Lady?"

She glanced over her shoulder and locked eyes with him. Usually, she did a pretty good job at keeping her emotions locked away, but right then, he saw fear and hope flicker through her iris.

"After you, _minou._"

-

"It must have been hard to keep quiet when Lila said you two were best friends."

Marinette groaned, not ready to remember those days quite yet. "You have _no _idea. And then Alya asked me to prove to her why Lila was wrong. I wanted to rip my hair out."

Adrien chuckled, running his fingers through her hair as her head was on his lap. After their initial freak out (and boy, was it one), they were able to find their rhythm pretty quickly. Sure, it was still a bit weird to know their partners were by their side the entire time, but it only brought satisfaction and happiness.

"I'm really sorry I said we should take the higher road. If I knew-"

"Adrien, we already talked about this. You did what you thought was best given what I told you." She huffed, sitting up to squish his cheek in between her palms. "If you knew who I was then and what she said, I'm sure you would have cataclymed her or something of hers."

"Yeah... sure."

Adrien wasn't meeting her eyes and Marinette’s narrowed. He would only do this if he was hiding something, which only meant...

"What did you do?"

"She hurt you, what I might or might not have done is irrelevant." He grinned cheekily, only to smother her in a hug. He did go ahead and cataclymed something of hers but in his defense, he did it _before _knowing Ladybug is Marinette. Finding that out made him want to destroy even more things but he had to resist.

Marinette knew there was no way she would be able to get him to tell her so she just sighed in defeat and cuddled closer. She was touched he would do something like that for her but did decide to boop him on the nose and explain he couldn’t do that ever again.

“Bug, how did we get so lucky?”

“I’ve got enough luck for the both of us. They don’t call me Ladyluck for no reason, kitty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3

**Author's Note:**

> kim is bae


End file.
